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KCK arrests are an attack on the struggle
for women's rights: Ann-Margarethe Livh
8.12.2011 |
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December
8, 2011
DIYARBAKIR, The Kurdish
region of Turkey, — KCK Diyarbakir trial observer
Ann-Margarethe Livh from the Swedish Left Party said
in interview on women rights that women in Turkey
knew how to focus their struggle. "Even if most of
these women are in jail because of the KCK trial,
they will not give up".
Bianet talked to Ann-Margarethe Livh from the
Swedish Left Party about the women movement in
Turkey and the trial on the Union of Kurdish
Communities (KCK), the umbrella organization that
includes the armed outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK).
Livh, President of the Stockholm Equality
Commission, came to Diyarbakır to observe the KCK
trial that was heard on 6 December.
The Swedish politician closely follows human rights
violations
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KCK Diyarbakir trial observer Ann-Margarethe Livh
from the Swedish Left Party. Photo: dn.se |
in Turkey and other countries and also keeps track
of the women's movement.
"People all around the world are struggling and
gaining rights. It is a big question why in Turkey
these gained rights cannot be obtained. Looking from
outside, it seems rather 'strange' that Kurds are
not given their fundamental rights", Livh indicated.
"Evaluating this situation in comparison with other
countries, I think that this problem stems from
factors like nationalism and conservatism", she
continued.
Livh said that Turkey was opening up and backsliding
at the same time. "When I was in Turkey during the
1980's we were not even able to use the word 'Kurd'.
There has been a [positive] development in this
aspect. However,www.ekurd.net
the KCK trial and all the related arrests represent
a serious downturn".
"KCK arrests are an attack
on the struggle for women's rights"
Livh mentioned that many women were arrested in the
scope of the KCK operations. In her opinion, this
equals an attack on the women's struggle at the same
time:
"I know some of the women who are being prosecuted
in the KCK trial personally or due to work. I know
them as democrats and persons who actively
participate in the struggle for women's rights. This
is one of the reasons why I am observing this
trial".
"It is ridiculous that these women are being tried
despite the importance of making their voices heard
and their struggle visible. I consider this as an
attack on the struggle for women's rights", she
claimed.
"Women in Turkey do not
give up"
The Swedish Left Party does not have a women's
branch because feminism is part of the fundamental
party program anyways. Livh criticized that most of
the political parties in Turkey did not give
priority to women's issues in their policies and
that the people struggling for it were being
imprisoned.
"Comparing the BDP [Peace and Democracy Party] with
the [ruling] Justice and Development Party (AKP) and
other parties, we see that they advocate for much
more progressive policies. The BDP is the party with
the highest number of woman deputies and woman
representatives in parliamentary commissions", Livh
stated.
"But these women who are doing important work on
increasing the visibility of women and their
participation in social life and politics are
currently in prison although there is no evidence
against them".
"Despite of all these circumstances, the women's
movement is taking an incredible success. They never
give up. This is the most important point", Livh
emphasized.
"The women know whom they
have to fight with"
Livh attended the second day of the Workshop for
Women Rights and said that this sort of activities
strengthened solidarity.
"The awareness of the women here is very high. They
know what they have to do and whom they have to
fight with. They do very important work in spite of
insufficient resources".
"Solidarity is strengthened even further by women
who come here from different places and institutions
to share their experiences and opinions".
PKK
Since it was established in 1984, the Kurdistan
Workers' Party PKK has been
fighting the Turkish state, which still denies the
constitutional existence of Kurds, to establish a
Kurdish state in the south east of the country, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000
lives.
But now its aim is the creation an autonomous
Kurdish region
and more cultural rights for ethnic Kurds who
constitute the greatest minority in Turkey, numbering more than 20 million. A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
PKK's demands included releasing PKK detainees,
lifting the ban on education in Kurdish, paving the
way for an autonomous democrat Kurdish system within
Turkey, reducing pressure on the detained PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan, stopping military action against
the Kurdish party and recomposing the Turkish
constitution.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population
as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural
rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish
language and private Kurdish language courses with
the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish
politicians say the measures fall short of their
expectations.
The PKK is considered as 'terrorist' organization by
Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the
blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which
overturned a decision
to place the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its
political wing on the European Union's terror list.
Copyright © 2011, respective
author or news agency,
bianet.org | ekurd.net | Agencies
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